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Biofilm Formation by Cryptococcus neoformans Under Distinct Environmental Conditions

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Abstract

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen with a propensity to infect the central nervous system of immune compromised individuals causing life-threatening meningoencephalitis. Cryptococcal biofilms have been described as a protective niche against microbial predators in nature and shown to enhance resistance against antifungal agents and specific mediators of host immune responses. Based on the potential importance of cryptococcal biofilms to its survival in the human host and in nature, these studies were designed to investigate those factors that mediate biofilm formation by C. neoformans. We observed that C. neoformans preferentially grew as planktonic cells when cultured under specific conditions designed to mimic growth within host tissues (37°C, neutral pH, and ~5% CO2) or phagocytes (37°C, acidic pH, and ~5% CO2) and as biofilms when cultured under conditions such as those encountered in the external environment (25–37°C, neutral pH, and ambient CO2). Altogether, our studies suggest that conditions similar to those observed in its natural habitat may be conducive to biofilm formation by C. neoformans.

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Acknowledgments

We will like to thank Jose Lopez-Ribot Pharm.D., Ph.D. for critical reading of the manuscript. This work was supported by grants RO1 AI071752–03 and 5G12RR013646–09 from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), respectively, of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIAID, NCRR, or the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX, 78249-0062, USA

    Sailatha Ravi, Christopher Pierce, Colleen Witt & Floyd L. Wormley Jr.

  2. South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Christopher Pierce & Floyd L. Wormley Jr.

  3. The Research Center for Minority Institutions Advanced Imaging Center, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Colleen Witt

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  1. Sailatha Ravi
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  2. Christopher Pierce
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  4. Floyd L. Wormley Jr.
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Correspondence to Floyd L. Wormley Jr..

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Ravi, S., Pierce, C., Witt, C. et al. Biofilm Formation by Cryptococcus neoformans Under Distinct Environmental Conditions. Mycopathologia 167, 307–314 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-008-9180-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-008-9180-6

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